CHAPTER 2 : HAZEL

Hazel

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Nathan’s grip tightened around my hand, dragging me towards the stairs that led to the basement of our house.

The cold walls of the basement, the pain from healing strangers that flooded the room every night, and the isolation—all from when I was younger—flashed before my eyes.

My stomach curled with an unpleasant sensation. I could feel my hands turn cold beneath his grip. “Let me go!” I screamed, my feet grating against the brown marble floor as I tried to plant myself to the ground.

Nathan yanked me harder, pulling me down the stairs. My eyes wide in horror as I shook my head erratically. My mind was screaming to fight, but my body was too weak.

“No, no, no,” I whimpered, my breath spiralling out of control. “I’m begging you.” My voice hoarse from all the screaming. But all my pleas fell on deaf ears.

Even if I was an omega… Even if I was weak… I didn’t deserve this. To be trapped by the man I love or anyone. To die without seeing the beach, strolling through the park…To die without living... to spend my last days locked in a basement, alone.

Oraia, my wolf, awoke, stirring something in me. A low growl vibrated from my chest. Her flickering strength coursed through me, urging me to fight.

I let my wolf instinct take over as I lowered my head and sank my teeth into his hand.

As Nathan winced and his grip faltered, I slithered my hand out of his grip. Adrenaline combusted through me, and with every ounce of strength Oraia could offer, I kicked Nathan, sending him down the stairs.

Time seemed to slow, but not for me. Quickly I swung around. ’I have to survive. I needed to escape.’ The words echoed in my head… A fuel to my feet as I darted out of the house.

Resisting the pain in my limbs and the sickness churning in my stomach, I propelled forward. The chill night breeze gnawed at my skin, yet it felt like a blessing. My bare feet bruised as they slammed against the hard, tarred road, yet it felt like freedom. My heart thudded in my ears, drowning out the cricketing sounds of the insects and the rustling of the leaves of the tall trees that secluded the house from civilisation.

After running for minutes, exhaustion crawled in, and I came to a halt. I pressed my palm against my knees as I bent to catch my breath.

The fear of not knowing where to go or where to sleep sank in, but I could care less. Even this road felt so much safer than that house.

Drawing in a long breath to run to only heaven knows where, I noticed a dark figure materialising behind me. And before I could react, a rough hand came from behind and clamped over my nose and mouth, muffling my desperate screams.

Panic surged through me, and every cell screamed for help as I fought. Frantically, I tapped—clawed at his hands but to no avail. He tightened his grip more and more, and my nostrils struggled to fill my lungs with air.

Even with Oraia's strength, I was powerless beneath the man’s grip. The man didn’t smell like an Alpha—definitely wasn’t Nathan. But why was he so strong?

Nathan’s words, ‘The world is a dangerous place for wolves like you,’ were the last things that lingered in my mind before everything faded into darkness.

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My eyes fluttered open, and I jolted up. A sharp throb coursed through my head, and the environment transitioned from a blur into something clearer. Nerves persisted in my stomach as my eyes darted around, scanning the room.

The white walls adorned with artwork, the polished floor, the expensive furniture—whose room was this? Was I a prisoner again?

As panic once again began to surge in, my fingers sank further into the soft mattress.

The door clinked open, and a tall man clad in an all-black suit strode in, a glass of water caught in his hand. “You are awake,” he said with a calm voice, but it made no effort to soothe me. “Here.” He handed me the glass. “First let me apologise for how my man roughly handled you.”

My eyes suspiciously jumped between him and the glass. “I’m not thirsty. And where am I?”

“A hotel.” Giving a curt nod, he placed the water on the coffee table and settled on the sofa across from me. “I’m sure you are wondering who I am and what I want from you.” His lips curled into a subtle smile. It was cunning... predatory.

Many questions flooded my mind, but they refused to slip out. My eyes traced his features—dirty blonde hair and green eyes. To be honest, for the four years I had been married to Nathan, I hadn’t seen any other person Aside from Nathan and the pack doctor, I was excited to see another person.

“I’m Felix. Beta of Black Moon Pack, you must be Hazel.”

My body tightened. ”How did you know about me?” I questioned it. It wasn’t like I was running around New York. I’m very sure that aside from Nathan and the pack doctor, no one knew about me.

“Let’s just say I have been looking for you.” His eyes softened, yet they felt colder than before. “You see, my Alpha—Alpha Elijah—has a broken wolf, and I heard you have the powers to heal any sickness.“

A strange chill rocked my core. Once again I had fallen into the hands of another predator who wanted to take advantage of me.

He cocked his head slightly. “And in return, I’d give you anything you want. A huge amount of money, anything you desire.”

Anything I desire? I clenched the bedsheets between my fists. Could he add to my life? No. So how could he give me what I desire? A bitter feeling swathed my chest.

“But it’s a little bit tricky. Alpha Elijah is the most cynical person I know. He won’t let anyone just touch him all in the name of healing, so you’re going to have to pretend to be Anna, his wife.”

I had to pretend to be his wife. It sounded like a stupid idea. I swung my gaze to Felix. “Is he suffering from amnesia, that he won’t know I’m not his wife when he sees me?”

“Yes. He has amnesia. He was involved in an accident, and he lost his memory, so he doesn’t know what Anna looks like. And also when Elijah was younger, let’s say he and his father didn’t see eye to eye, which led him to cut ties with the pack and travel to the Netherlands. He stayed there for years and got married there. So no one in the pack knows what Anna looks like.”

“I also protect you from whoever you were running from.”

My head throbbed as different thoughts waged war in my mind. Although Elijah’s sickness was not an incurable disease, it would still be at the expense of my body.

I wanted to turn him down. But if I were to accept his proposal, he would protect me from Nathan, and if I am Luna, I would have enough power to search for a cure for my sickness. On the other hand, if I reject, I’d have no place to stay. If Nathan were to find me, I’d spend the last days of my life locked in the basement, healing disease.

Although none of them guaranteed my safety. Nathan was a dead end, while for Elijah there still seemed to be a glimmer of hope. The thought of finding a cure was enough for me to desperately cling to his deal.

”I’ll accept only one condition,” I said with a steady pitch, belying the knots in my stomach. “I would be allowed to go out, and I would perform the role of Luna.”

Without wasting time, like he too was desperate, he said, snappingly, “Deal. A lawyer would draft the documents and bring them tomorrow.” His gaze lingered on me as though tainted with sympathy. “The bastard locked you up as though you were a farm animal. Quite a shame. You got married to a man who treated you exactly like your father.”

My eyes widened as my gaze locked with his. I have never met Felix in my entire life, so how did this stranger know so much about me?

“How did you know about that?” I stuttered.

“Let’s say a certain boy always talked about the girl who was locked up by her father.”

Did he know Nathan? Then he must have attended my father’s school.

Before I could say anything more, Felix rose to his feet. “Goodnight, tomorrow we would have to make you look like Anna before introducing you to Elijah.” Felix headed to the door and turned midway. “Hazel, I know you didn’t ask for this, but you can use this opportunity to have your revenge against Nathan.” He flashed a smile before exiting the room.

Sprawling on the bed, I let out a sigh. I was still utterly confused, but two thoughts stuck out. How didn’t I notice that Nathan had caged me just like my father? Is that how blind love was?

I couldn’t help but wonder if Nathan ever loved me. If I were nothing but a tool. There was part of me that wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt me, but would that ease the pain?

And then as of tomorrow, I will become Anna. Maybe being Anna might change my badly written fate.